asia • ARE
United Arab Emirates
Location marker · geographic overview
24° N / 54° ETHE WORLD, ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Population
- 10,986,400 2024
- Area
- 83,600 km² (year unavailable)
- Languages source-listed
- Arabic
- Currency
- United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)
- Geography
- Coastal country
Population: World Bank 2024. Other facts: REST Countries snapshot. Sources & limitations.
STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Discover United Arab Emirates
FROM THE TRAVEL GUIDE · United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (Arabic: الإمارات العربية المتحدة al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) or simply the Emirates (الإمارات al-ʾImārāt) is a country rich in history and culture at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Boasting attractions ranging from the glittering and cosmopolitan cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to the vast and unforgiving desert landscapes of the Empty Quarter, it makes an easy starting point for travels in the Middle East.
Landscape & landmarks
There are plenty of things to see in the United Arab Emirates, both in terms of the Earth's natural wonderful landscape as well as the best of human's constructed attractions. From the world's largest tower in Dubai to the world's largest contiguous sand desert in the world in Liwa Oasis (which was the film set of planet Jakku in Star Wars: The Force Awakens).Read the see section ↗
Food & everyday culture
The UAE's traditional cuisine is the Emirati and Eastern Arabian cuisine; however, the country also offers a global cuisine. The more than 165 nationalities residing in the Emirates have made the country a destination which offers and caterers to all cuisines or religious compliant food for everyone.Read the eat section ↗
Excerpts from Wikivoyage contributors, revision 2026-09-06. CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected excerpts; wiki formatting removed; omissions marked […]. Guide wording and any figures belong to this dated source; they do not replace the atlas statistics above. Food descriptions are not official national-dish designations.
A little more to discover +
- National flower
- Not yet verified
- Official national dish
- Not yet verified
- Representative food
- Not yet verified
- Subregion
- Western Asia
- Calling code
- +971
- Internet domain
- .ae, امارات.
- Land border codes
- OMN, SAU
Quick facts
- Traffic keeps to the right side of the road. Source ↗
- The country-code web domain is .ae or امارات.. Source ↗
- The source lists sunday as the start of the week. Source ↗
Population: World Bank 2024. Other facts: REST Countries snapshot. Source-matched September 26, 2026; not live data. Sources & limitations.